Power-hungry Vietnam, one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies and a
production hub for global companies such as Samsung Electronics, needs to raise
up to $150 billion by 2030 to develop its energy sector, according to a World
Bank official.

Vietnam is encouraging the installation of solar systems on houses’ roof, as
solar power is cheaper than fossil fuel and environmentally friendly, experts
said here on Wednesday at a conference on the development of solar power in the
country.

VinFast Trading and Production LLC has signed two contracts with Siemens
Vietnam, a unit of Siemens AG, for the supply of technology and components to
manufacture electric buses in the Southeast Asian country.

Several provincial authorities in Vietnam are developing guidelines for
renewables that should improve the country’s solar market, but stubbornness
from the monopoly utility EVN means that the largest-scale projects remain the
preserve of big risk-takers, according to a representative of international law
firm Baker McKenzie.

Vietnam holds huge growth potential for wind energy and has policy
incentives available for this sector but only three wind power projects have
been put into operation nationwide, according to a recent conference in
Hanoi.

Vietnam, which has long been a coal exporter, is considering a hiatus in
licensing new coal-fired power plants because it says domestic coal reserves
won’t be enough to feed generators starting in 2020.

Is Vietnam diverting its civilian know-how to create an indigenous nuclear
weapons program? Not yet, says the CSS’ Oliver Thränert, but increased tensions
or overt conflict with China could lead Hanoi to develop its own nuclear
deterrent.